out of the window and saw that the sleigh was in front of the
bank with a pair of the outlaws' horses hitched to it. I was afraid
that the safe had been blown open with the first explosion and that
they were getting the money after all. I ran out the back door and
along behind the buildings to the hotel. Kaiser bounded around me, and
Pawsy was again in her old place over the door.

I peeped through the cracks in the boards over one of the front
windows. The whole front of the bank was blown away, but I could just
make out through the snow that the inner door of the safe was still
closed. Two of the men were lying in the bottom of the sleigh,
motionless, whether dead or alive I knew not. Pike was on the floor of
the bank, propped up on one elbow, giving orders to the one they
called Joe, who was helping the fifth man into the sleigh, who seemed
badly wounded and sat in the bottom of the box.

Then Joe went back to help Pike. He took him by the arms and was
dragging him toward the sleigh, when I suddenly made up my mind that I
would keep Pike. I went to the closet and got Sours's double-barreled
shot-gun. I knew there was no weapon that they would fear so much at
close range. I opened the door and walked out into the street with
it.

"Just leave Pike right here," I said. "I'll take care of him. The rest
of you go on."

I guess they thought I was buried under the rubbish in the drug store,
because I have seldom seen men more astonished. I walked up closer.
Even Joe looked half wrecked, and his face was all blackened with
powder.

"Hello, Jud," called Pike. "You ain't a-going to strike a man when
he's down, be you, Jud? I might 'a' been harder on you many a time
than I was, Jud."

"No, I won't hurt you, but you've got to stay, that's all," I said.
"Help him over to the hotel and then go on with the others and don't
come back," I added, looking at Joe.

There was nothing for him but to do as he was told, because I held the
gun on them both, and they had heard the click as I drew back the
hammers. Pike's left leg seemed to be broken and he was all burned and
blackened with the powder. I sent Joe for a mattress, which he put on
the floor of the office and rolled Pike on it. Then he drove off with
the others.

So that is the whole account of the second visit of the outlaws to
Track's End, just as it all happened, Saturday, March 19th.

"Now, Pike," I said, after Joe had gone, "the first thing--out with
that handcu